Tennessee Tutoring Corps is returning
Haslams’ group will tackle learning loss
Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy Haslam, this summer are again hoping to tackle learning loss and help grade-school students at risk of — or already — falling behind because of COVID-19 classroom closures.
The couple launched the second year of the statewide Tennessee Tutoring Corps program Tuesday. The program, first piloted during the summer of 2020, offers high-quality, one-on-one tutoring or small group tutoring at least three times a week.
Within months of schools shuttering last spring, the program paired about 430 college students with 2,000 students at Boys and Girls Clubs across the state for about eight weeks over the summer.
By the end of the program, students in grades K through second demonstrated the equivalent of about a third of a year of academic growth. Across all grades, and in both English language arts and math, students who were performing lower at the beginning of the program showed significant growth over the course of the summer.
Now the Haslams hope to build on lessons learned last summer and expand the program in the coming months.
“We launched this program last year to address the ‘summer slide,’ a very real problem each year that was made significantly worse by students being out of school for so long because of COVID-19,” Bill Haslam said in a statement.
“Building on what we learned from the latest education research as well as student outcomes and tutor input from last year’s pilot, we are excited to continue the program this summer and to serve as one piece of the puzzle in supporting Tennessee’s youngest and most vulnerable students.”
This summer, they hope to recruit at least 1,000 college students to tutor students at 115 sites across the state, Chrissy Haslam said. The program is partnering with 40 organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs, the YMCA and charter schools.
Adding to state efforts
The expanded program will hopefully supplement the summer programs the state is requiring districts to offer this summer, the Haslams said.
Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a $160 million education package aimed at literacy and learning loss that included requirements for districts to offer four- or six-week summer programs. In addition, the state pushing for tutoring to begin tackling anticipated learning loss related to time spent outside of the classroom due to the pandemic.
Last July, the Tennessee Department of Education anticipated schools might see “significant learning loss” among Tennessee students.
Research shows most students forget some skills or lessons during their three-month summer vacation each year, which has only been amplified by school closures and varying quality of remote learning this school year.
The education nonprofit NWEA said the drop this year could be much worse, predicting kids could lose as much as 50% of their new math knowledge before classes are scheduled to resume in the fall.
In February, a new report showed the greatest learning losses among firstand second-grade students in reading with up to 40% of first-graders and 35% of second graders ‘significantly at risk’ of needing intensive intervention, according to the Hechinger Report.
Tennessee school districts, like Metro Nashville Public Schools, have also noted increasing achievement gaps along racial and socioeconomic lines, with students of color and those already performing below grade level displaying more learning loss than their white peers.
Keeping students learning
The Haslams made education a top priority while they were in public life.
Bill Haslam established the Tennessee Promise scholarship as governor, making community and technical college tuition-free for most residents. Crissy Haslam worked to improve literacy as Tennessee’s first lady.
Now, the Haslams are also concerned about what the long-term impact of the pandemic on student learning could mean for Tennessee’s future.
“One of the things that was clear to both of us when we were office was the connection between future job opportunities an education preparedness,” Bill Haslam said in an interview Monday. “It’s kind of scary when you think if students lose a year of learning what that means in terms of when they can take advantage of a post-secondary opportunity and if they are prepared.”
With the improvements seen among last year’s students, the Haslams are excited for the second summer of the program.
Chrissy Hasam anticipates some tutors will even return for a second year. At the end of the program last year, 85% of tutors reported building meaningful relationships with students and 98% said they would recommend the corps experience to other college students.
She noted the impact many tutors had when they returned to their hometowns or old neighborhoods and work with kids growing up similarly to them.
“Our goal is to attract and recruit tutors who care about their communities, want to make a difference during what continues to be a difficult time, and want to help younger students keep learning throughout the summer,” Crissy Haslam said in a statement.
The program will begin on June 7, running eight weeks through August. College students interested in tutoring can apply to participate at www.tntutoringcorps.org.
Qualified tutors must be current college students, or have been out of college for a year or less, and must pass a background check. The deadline to apply is April 27.